1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,279 Speaker 1: This story contains adult content and language. Listener discretion is advised. 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 2: In order for Howard to be set free, this is 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 2: the sequence of events. He would have to first stand 4 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 2: trial for the murder of his parents and be found insane. 5 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,240 Speaker 2: Then he would have to go through a sanity hearing 6 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 2: and be found sane so that he could be released 7 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 2: as a free person. 8 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 3: That's a lot of stuffs. 9 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:35,599 Speaker 2: That's a lot of steps. 10 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: Howard Pearson's murder trial in Austin, Texas started in November 11 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: of nineteen sixty three, amid national media buzz. He was 12 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: now forty nine years old and at the center of 13 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: another courtroom drama. Every major news outlet covered it, one 14 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: of the wildest stories in decades. Howard had killed his parents, 15 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: covered it up, and was then sent to a mental 16 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: hospit From there, he had escaped twice, spent years on 17 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: the run, only to turn himself in, and then after 18 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: nearly thirty years of observation, doctors declared that he was sane. 19 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,559 Speaker 1: Now the district attorney wanted to put him behind prison 20 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: bars finally, but Howard's siblings Alison Bill continued to fund 21 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: his defense. The jury sat in silence in the crowded courtroom, 22 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 1: Howard's attorney Tom Reveley presented his list of witnesses. Author 23 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: Gary Laverne says that the majority were physicians and experts 24 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: on mental disorders. 25 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 2: His argument basically was, he was insane when he killed 26 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 2: his parents, but he has spent so much time in 27 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 2: an institution that he has been successfully treated, and in 28 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: addition to that, he's burnt out. 29 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 4: If you recover sanity, we called it a burnout. 30 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: Reevely had a tricky job. He had to convince the 31 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: jury that Howard was insane in nineteen thirty five, but 32 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: sane right now. 33 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 4: I got a psychiatrist of successful, well known doctor, and 34 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 4: I found out that there was a local psychiatrist there 35 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 4: in Austin who knew the Pearson family and knew them 36 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 4: at the time this happened. We had a lot of 37 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 4: the things that he had written, his notes that he 38 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 4: had kept. For some reason, Bill had kept all of 39 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 4: those and gave him to doctor Wade. 40 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: So Howard's brother, Bill had collected notes for decades about 41 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: his brother's mental illness, and we don't know why. Maybe 42 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: he wanted evidence as to why Howard should continue to 43 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: stay in the mental hospital, or maybe Bill was scared 44 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: of his brother, and he needed some assurance that he 45 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: would stay institutionalized. In nineteen sixty three, all of Reeveley's 46 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: experts came to one conclusion. 47 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 4: They all agreed that he was a paranoid because. 48 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: Of any and they all pointed out Howard's troubling history. 49 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: He was antisocial, depressed, and ran away every chance he had. 50 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 1: They even talked about his difficulties as a baby. Apparently 51 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: his physicians couldn't find a formula that he could eat 52 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,639 Speaker 1: and keep down, and he almost died several times. When 53 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: his brother Bill testified, he put it simply, I never 54 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: really knew what he was thinking. A psychiatrist believed that 55 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: Howard didn't understand that it was wrong to kill his parents. 56 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: Bill and the entire list of defense witnesses all said 57 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: that Howard was insane in nineteen thirty five, but Gary 58 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: Laverne still doesn't agree with that assessment, because Howard really 59 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: knew how to plan. He organized and executed a double murder, 60 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 1: a cover up, and two escapes. 61 00:03:55,480 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 2: He's not stupid and he's not so mentally demand finished 62 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 2: that he can't pull this stuff off. 63 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: Revely and his team faced a formidable opponent in a 64 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: savvy district attorney. The DA decided to use Rusk's superintendent 65 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: to prove that Howard knew exactly what he was doing 66 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty five, and. 67 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 4: His opinion person was sane when he did it, but 68 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 4: the experience of what he did and the aftermath drove 69 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 4: him into insanity. 70 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: So Kessner was saying that Howard was sane during the murders, 71 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: but insane after, and then sane again in his final 72 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: years in the state mental hospital. Sounds a little bit confusing, right. 73 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: Apparently members of the jury thought so too. The panel 74 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: was made up of seven men and five women, and 75 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: they deliberated for five hours and both sides were becoming 76 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: pretty nervous. The jury considered Reveley's argument that Howard was 77 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 1: insane in nineteen thirty five and could not be held responsible, 78 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: and they finally agreed. They found Howard not guilty of 79 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:12,159 Speaker 1: killing his parents by reason of insanity, So Howard wouldn't 80 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: be sent to prison, he wouldn't be given the death penalty, 81 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 1: and he should be released immediately at least according to 82 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: the head of russ Hospital, doctor Cassner. But that decision 83 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: required another hearing, this time with just a judge. He 84 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: weighed the evidence and seemed to put a lot of 85 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: faith in doctor Cassner. The judge believed that Howard was 86 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: no longer a threat to the public or himself. He 87 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:42,239 Speaker 1: had the capability of leading a healthy life. He found 88 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: that Howard was now saying, and just like that, Howard 89 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: Pearson was free after twenty eight years, and his brother 90 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: and sister were now concerned. Yes, they had fought for this, 91 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: but Howard could be unpredictable. Would he be a danger 92 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: if he were provoked? Maybe? And he would be provoked soon. 93 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 1: Howard packed up his belongings, signed some paperwork, and walked 94 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: out of the psychiatric hospital that had been his home 95 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: since his last recapture. He had been institutionalized for more 96 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: than half of his life, almost thirty years. Gary Laverne 97 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: says that he first needed to sort out where to go, 98 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: because he couldn't stay in Texas. 99 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 2: Well. Howard understood that he could no longer live in 100 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 2: Austin because of his own notoriety. He had the resources 101 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 2: to do whatever he wanted to do, go wherever he 102 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 2: wanted to go, because Bill and Alice had protected his 103 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 2: inheritance and it. 104 00:06:56,279 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: Was a pretty big inheritance. Before his release, Bill filed 105 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: paperwork with the probate court documents that detailed just how 106 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: much money Howard was receiving. He had a share of 107 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: some rental property in Fort Worth, which earned him about 108 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: twelve hundred dollars a month, and there were monthly payments 109 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,559 Speaker 1: from his father's investments in shell oil that were about 110 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: thirteen hundred a month. But that was just the beginning. 111 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: Howard could use that money to start his new life, 112 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: and there would be even more money to come later on. 113 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: I would have expected for Howard to be thrilled about 114 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 1: all of this, after all this time, he was finally free, 115 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,679 Speaker 1: but Howard's niece Ann Pearson says that being released wasn't 116 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: as big of a relief to him as you might think. 117 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 5: When he first was released, I think he was very 118 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 5: grateful to be released and sort of timid and shy 119 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 5: and working his way out in the world, you know, 120 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 5: and trying things out for the first really for the 121 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 5: first time. 122 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: In nineteen sixty three, Howard Pearson's family was relieved and 123 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: in agreement that a not guilty verdict was the right decision. 124 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: And that still surprises me because I would assume that 125 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: many victims' families would feel quite differently, and in fact, 126 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: that was the case. In twenty seventeen, when University of 127 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: Texas student Kendrick's White was found not guilty by reason 128 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 1: of insanity for stabbing four students, there were decidedly mixed 129 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: emotions for the survivors of that case, and Stuart Bayliss 130 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: was one of the students who was injured in the attack. 131 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: He remembers a startling moment in court right after the verdict. 132 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 6: You would imagine he had the right state of mind 133 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 6: to actually do this heinous act. And so we get 134 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 6: told he's gonna be found not guilty by insanity. We 135 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 6: were all just sitting there like, what the hell you know? 136 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:54,839 Speaker 6: And that was a really testing moment for me. Can 137 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,560 Speaker 6: I still forgive him? Or am I going to go 138 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 6: back to this hatred piece? And like I said, I 139 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 6: did not want to go back to that hatred piece 140 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 6: because I know that's not who I am, and it's 141 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 6: just a really dark place to be you think of 142 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 6: like just awful things. 143 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: In nineteen sixty three, the Pearson family seemed united in 144 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: their love for Howard and generously offered him support. The 145 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 1: Trust gave him a monthly stipend for living expenses, and 146 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:34,679 Speaker 1: he had the freedom to go wherever he pleased. He 147 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: went to California and ultimately ended up in Spokane, Washington, 148 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: and this is where this kind of story often ends. 149 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 2: According to some newspaper accounts, he died in the nineteen 150 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 2: seventies by accidental drowning. 151 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 1: Not quite. This story had twisted and turned in so 152 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: many different directions. By this point, I knew I had 153 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: to dig deeper, and I had a hard time out 154 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: what happened to Howard after his release in nineteen sixty three. 155 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: I knew that he had changed his name legally to 156 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: Robert Hamilton. Remember that name because it pops up a lot. 157 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: And there were unanswered questions about an even larger amount 158 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,680 Speaker 1: of family money that had been placed in a trust. 159 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: But I didn't know any of it until I met 160 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: Howard's niece Ann about three months into this project. She 161 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 1: called Howard Uncle Bob. Anne knew Uncle Bob while he 162 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 1: was at Rusk, and after he was released they talked 163 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: in person and she felt comfortable around him. She said 164 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: that he really struggled after spending so much time institutionalized. 165 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 1: The real world was a challenge for Howard Pearson. 166 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 5: You never had an adult life before then, and he 167 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 5: spent a lot of time just sort of figuring out life. 168 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: There were some stipulations to his release, some caveats to 169 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: receiving the money, and those requirements were not easy for Howard. 170 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 5: When he was first released, he was expected to work, 171 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 5: and he actually did get a job. I think he 172 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 5: held down a couple of jobs. I'm not sure either 173 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 5: of them lasted really long, and he wasn't very interested 174 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 5: in him. I think he worked in a photography shop 175 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 5: for a while because that was one of his hobbies, 176 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 5: but he probably found it difficult to work in a 177 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 5: work for somebody in a business. 178 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: Howard needed help finding a job, so he reached out 179 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 1: to his relatives. He wrote to an uncle asking to 180 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: use him as a job reference. Howard needed to explain 181 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 1: where he had worked for the past thirty years, so 182 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: he asked his uncle to say that Howard had worked 183 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: on his ranch. But Howard wasn't sure how much a 184 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: ranch han actually made, so he asked his uncle for guidance, 185 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: and he told him that he hoped to get a 186 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: job as a salesman. Soon. He wanted to go back 187 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 1: to school to learn radio and TV repair. So Howard 188 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: was struggling to find steady work, but he did manage 189 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: to hold down a couple of different jobs for a 190 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:01,679 Speaker 1: few years. But about nineteen seventy something changed. He had 191 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: been living off of that income from when he was 192 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:08,199 Speaker 1: first released, but he needed more money, or rather he 193 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: wanted more money. 194 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 4: You know. 195 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 5: Then he decided that he needed to break this trust 196 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 5: and take control over his finances. And you could hear 197 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 5: him talking about, maybe I want to have a girlfriend, 198 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 5: maybe I might get married, and I think he was 199 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 5: experimenting around with, you know, living. 200 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:30,679 Speaker 1: Shall we say seven years after his release from Rusk, 201 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: Howard was ready to receive the rest of his money 202 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 1: from his parents' estate, and a reminder, that was a 203 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:40,200 Speaker 1: lot of money. Howard's portion was more than eight hundred 204 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: thousand dollars and that's nineteen seventies money. But Anne says 205 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: that her uncle just hoped for a normal life and 206 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 1: more control. Howard was concerned that if he were to 207 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,680 Speaker 1: marry his new wife would find out about his past 208 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 1: his mental illness, and he wanted to buy a house 209 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: in Spokane. That makes sense to me, except not everyone 210 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,959 Speaker 1: agreed that Howard was ready for such a large lump sum. 211 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: Mill and Alice had hired several attorneys to advise them 212 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: about Howard's trust, and those attorneys thought that breaking the 213 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 1: trust and giving him all of that money was a 214 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:21,079 Speaker 1: bad idea, a really bad idea. The lawyers didn't think 215 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: that Howard was of sound mind, even if the State 216 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: of Texas had declared him sane. This was a big 217 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:34,079 Speaker 1: problem for Howard in nineteen seventy. During this whole mess, 218 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: it's clear that Howard had come to distrust his siblings. 219 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: He thought they were manipulating the attorneys, and Bill and 220 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: Alice seemed to be developing similar feelings toward him. Howard 221 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: complained about the trust's restrictions. He kept saying that breaking 222 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 1: the trust would be psychologically helpful and beneficial to his 223 00:13:54,400 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: health and his happiness. Those were his words. One night, 224 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: Alice expressed her concern in a letter to one of 225 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: the attorneys. Remember that most people referred to Howard as Bob. 226 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 1: Starting in nineteen sixty three, Alice wrote, Bob lies a 227 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: blue streak. We catch him often doing this. On the 228 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: same day, he told us that he would not press 229 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: the case were he unable to get signatures of all 230 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: necessary beneficiaries. He told Martha he planned to go to 231 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: Texas in a few weeks to go to court to 232 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 1: try and break the trust. So now Alice and Bill 233 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: really didn't trust their brother. They were convinced that he 234 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: would mismanage the estate if he had access to all 235 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: of it. Alice wrote, we are afraid we would then 236 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 1: have to feed him, etc. And we simply would not 237 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: be financially able to support him and have even a 238 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: halfway decent retirement level for ourselves. So if the trust 239 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: is revoked, then he will be endangering our future old 240 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: age security as well as his own. Still, we would 241 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 1: be afraid to refuse to have he him. We are 242 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: all very tired as a result of his visit. Howard 243 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: was very close to Alice's daughter Marty. She would send 244 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: him cookies while he was in Rusk. They wrote letters often, 245 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: and between nineteen sixty three and nineteen seventy, Howard confided 246 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: in Marty, and some of the things he said about 247 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: his brother alarmed her. Marty once wrote this about her 248 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: cousin Bob. Bob showed animosity toward uncle Bill as regards 249 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: to his release from russ Hospital. Bob feels that Uncle 250 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: Bill had an ulterior motive for wanting to keep him 251 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: at Rusk and didn't favor his release. Bob said that 252 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: the last time he was in Florida visiting Uncle Bill, 253 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 1: he had a friendly argument with him that Uncle Bill 254 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: talked to him like a district attorney. Bob stated that 255 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: he feels Uncle Bill is a fine, honest man, but 256 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: is emotionally unstable and therefore not competent to make decisions 257 00:15:56,280 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: concerning Bob's trust Bill's Anne says that last bit about 258 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 1: her father being emotionally unstable was ridiculous. 259 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 5: I was laughing about one of the things that you 260 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 5: know that he told Marty that my dad was fearful 261 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 5: and neurotic. And I'm laughing because I was thinking my 262 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 5: dad was not particularly fearful, or he did have a 263 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 5: few things he was afraid of, but I think they 264 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 5: were not unreasonable fears, you know, And he was not 265 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 5: He was not a I mean, everybody has their issues, right, 266 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 5: but he was not a neurotic person. 267 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: I told Oliver Perkins about that comment from Howard about 268 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: Anne's father being unstable. He was working hard to get 269 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: this money, I think is what happened. 270 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 7: Yes that's what it sounds like. But I agree with you, 271 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 7: it sounds very manipulative that he's trying to get Marty 272 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 7: on his side, like she could exert some pressure on 273 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 7: her mom and threw her mom onto Bill and somehow 274 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 7: get that money released, which, like you said, is a 275 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 7: similar theme to what was going on when his parents 276 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 7: seemed to cut him off from the financial support to 277 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,639 Speaker 7: go to ut and pushed him into getting a job. 278 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: But soon Uncle Bob's visits became more tense. He seemed 279 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: more agitated than usual, his comments were sharper, and they 280 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: all seemed to be focused on his brother. Marty's letter 281 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: read Bob showed more antagonism than in his previous visits. 282 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: This animosity was aimed at Uncle Bill. I don't feel 283 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:40,679 Speaker 1: that Uncle Bill is in physical danger at this time, 284 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: but Bob seems to be building a case up that, 285 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: as far as I know, is unfounded. It is my 286 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: opinion that my uncle Bob is regressing and displaying some 287 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:52,959 Speaker 1: very unhealthy characteristics. 288 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 5: When he was a teenager, he was left in charge 289 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 5: of Howard, you know, and Howard was I believe twelve 290 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 5: years younger than he was, so he was quite a 291 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:04,240 Speaker 5: bit younger, So he always saw my father as what 292 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 5: part of the adults, you know what I mean. I 293 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 5: don't think he saw my father as a kid like 294 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 5: he was. 295 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: So this all seemed very familiar and uncomfortable. Howard had 296 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,959 Speaker 1: once deeply resented his father for controlling his future, and 297 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: now he was feeling the same way about his older brother. 298 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 1: Howard felt threatened, and the last time he had felt 299 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 1: threatened like this it ended up in murder. Bill Pearson 300 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: knew that his brother was capable of killing someone who 301 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: was close to him. He knew that Howard could be triggered. 302 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 1: If he felt slighted, he might still be dangerous. Bill 303 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: wrote Howard, in an effort to explain. While he and 304 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: Alice had refused to break the trust, Bill said, as 305 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,000 Speaker 1: I told you when you were here, the doctors and 306 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:12,120 Speaker 1: lawyers recommended a trust in nineteen sixty three. The doctors 307 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: all thought that the security and worry free income of 308 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 1: a trust would be very beneficial to your welfare. I 309 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: thought that income from your trust plus your work would 310 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 1: add up to a good living. Alice and I have 311 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,919 Speaker 1: always tried to be generous with both time and money. 312 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: We secured the best psychiatrists that money could buy. I 313 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: have always had your welfare at heart, and I am 314 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: giving your request serious consideration. Then, after many discussions, Bill 315 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: and Alice finally decided that Howard's inheritance wasn't worth fighting 316 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: over any longer. For the sake of their family unity, 317 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: the siblings allowed Howard greater access to the money and 318 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: the trust. So after thirty five years, Howard and his 319 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: siblings had finally found peace with each other. 320 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 5: They ended up increasing his draw from it and giving 321 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 5: him more money, and my father sort of stepped out 322 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,120 Speaker 5: of it, and that I think helped too. 323 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 1: And Howard, who was now Robert Hamilton, tried to make 324 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: a life for himself in Spokane, Washington. 325 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 5: He had a woman friend, or he used to call 326 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 5: her his girlfriend sometimes. I don't think there was ever 327 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 5: really anything romantically involved in it. When he first went there, 328 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 5: his first interest was photography, and then he got interested 329 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,920 Speaker 5: in rock hounding, so he started doing that. 330 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,639 Speaker 1: Howard became a gymalogist, someone who studies jim stones, and 331 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: he loved metal detecting. 332 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,639 Speaker 7: It was partly his ability to use the device, but 333 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 7: it was also his ability to dig holes in turf 334 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 7: and then replace the turf. So that nobody could tell 335 00:20:56,840 --> 00:21:00,879 Speaker 7: he had done any damage of states in your paid 336 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 7: for him to go over there and run his medal 337 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 7: detector all over their yards and dig up any piece 338 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 7: of metal because he was so good at it that 339 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,679 Speaker 7: once he got finished, they couldn't tell that any holes 340 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 7: had been dug. 341 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: Anne Pearson wasn't the only family member who kept up 342 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: with Howard. After another month of searching, I finally found 343 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: Tom blood Cell. His mother was Marty Howard's niece and confidante, 344 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 1: and his grandmother was Alice. Tom was a teenager when 345 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,120 Speaker 1: Uncle Bob came to visit Alice in their family. 346 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 8: Basically, he was just a kind of a gentleman. He 347 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 8: would come visit us at the house. Try and remember 348 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 8: if he stayed with us at the house. I think 349 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 8: he did. And he helped pay for my school tuition 350 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,400 Speaker 8: and books. He was just real good to us. 351 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:53,919 Speaker 1: Howard was finally happy with the money in his trust. 352 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 1: He helped Tom with college expenses. He bought himself a 353 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: modest house, nothing too fancy. 354 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:04,920 Speaker 8: He was meek and mild, real soft spoken. Once you 355 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,920 Speaker 8: got to know him. He was small and stature. He 356 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 8: wasn't a big man and not real well built or anything. 357 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 8: Like I said, he's smaller, and he'd use his hands. 358 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,480 Speaker 8: He's real, you know, when you talk, he would justicate 359 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 8: with his hands. 360 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 1: And that was one thing about Howard Pearson. He seemed 361 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: so timid. I can't imagine that someone would ever suspect 362 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 1: Howard of anything violent had they not heard the story beforehand. 363 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: It probably seemed impossible that he was capable of hurting anyone, 364 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: but he did, and it was hard for some people 365 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 1: in the family to forget that. It was certainly interesting 366 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: when Tom and his wife Cheryl began dating decades ago, 367 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: because he had to eventually tell her about Uncle Bob. 368 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: Cheryl said she was actually pretty concerned. 369 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 3: Well, the first time I met Uncle Bob was in 370 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:57,919 Speaker 3: Marty's living room and he had come down for a visit, 371 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,639 Speaker 3: and we had talked prior to his visit because I 372 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 3: was concerned, you know, I was kind of scared, and 373 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 3: Marty assured me that Uncle Bob was just fine and 374 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 3: that I would, you know, find him to be very pleasant. 375 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 3: And so Tom and I went over there and we 376 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 3: were introduced. He was kind of bald and had real 377 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 3: gray hair, and he was very soft spoken, and he 378 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:27,920 Speaker 3: was happy to meet us, and I just felt awkward 379 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,919 Speaker 3: because I didn't really know what to say or you know, 380 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,280 Speaker 3: what kind of conversation we should have. He just seemed very, 381 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 3: very nice. 382 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 1: Howard worked hard to appear normal, but he seemed to 383 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,440 Speaker 1: remain afraid of himself. He knew what he had done 384 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 1: to his parents, and he worried a lot about losing 385 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: control of his life once again. When Howard would visit 386 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 1: his siblings, he would only stay a few days. Anne 387 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: Pearson thinks that a psychiatrist once warned him against overstaying 388 00:23:57,800 --> 00:23:58,400 Speaker 1: his welcome. 389 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,439 Speaker 5: You know, he would come and stay for three days. 390 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 5: You know, the old Ben Franklin saying about visitors and 391 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,720 Speaker 5: fish smell after three days. I was good advice, and 392 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 5: he followed that very carefully. He wouldn't stay more than 393 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 5: three days. 394 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 1: Howard and Bill grew closer, and he visited Florida often, 395 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 1: and says she was always happy to see him because 396 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: he seemed kind. But even so, Bill and Alice would 397 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 1: forever remain cautious around their brother. 398 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 5: I didn't have trouble sleeping when he was in the house, 399 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 5: let's put it that way, anything like that, but there 400 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 5: was always lurking in the back of your mind that 401 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 5: maybe he would slip back into the schizophrenia again, which 402 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 5: we didn't really expect to have happened, but you know, 403 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:42,119 Speaker 5: everybody wanted to be just making sure it didn't, you know. 404 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,439 Speaker 1: When family friends were around, Howard was sometimes referred to 405 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: as a cousin. He was constantly afraid of strangers finding 406 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,919 Speaker 1: out that he was the Howard Pearson, the one who 407 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,840 Speaker 1: killed his parents in Texas and spent almost thirty years 408 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 1: in a mental hospital. 409 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,159 Speaker 5: He just drew a line there, and he wasn't I 410 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 5: think if I think he was afraid if he started 411 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 5: talking about things that he would let something would get out. 412 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 5: And he was really paranoid about people finding out his 413 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 5: real name and his history. 414 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 1: Ann says that his paranoia even affected how she was 415 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,159 Speaker 1: allowed to communicate with him when. 416 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,199 Speaker 5: I lived overseas, When I would mail him things he 417 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 5: didn't like to have. He didn't like to have my 418 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 5: last name Pearson on anything I mailed to him. But 419 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 5: if I mailed him a package, it had to go 420 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 5: through customs and it had to have my name as 421 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 5: the sender on it. And we talked this over and 422 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 5: he finally decided that it was okay for me to 423 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 5: do that because he liked getting packages okay, and that 424 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 5: was worth running the risk, which he said, realistically, it's 425 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,680 Speaker 5: very low that anybody would look at my name being 426 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 5: Pearson and his name being at Hamilton and connect him 427 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 5: years ago with this crime in Texas. 428 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,400 Speaker 1: Oliver Perkins says that seems odd to him. Howard's fear 429 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 1: of being found out. 430 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:02,119 Speaker 7: This does not strike me as being somebody who is 431 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 7: still crazy. And you know, again I'm not a mental 432 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 7: health expert, but how common is it for a person 433 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 7: to then become not crazy thirty or forty years in 434 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 7: his life. That strikes me as unusual, But maybe it's not. 435 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: And to a certain extent, he might be right. He 436 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 1: was seeing a psychiatrist regularly, but he wasn't on any medication. 437 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: Aside from his gnawing worry of being found out, Howard 438 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: actually seemed stable. 439 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:36,199 Speaker 5: If you'd met him, you would have thought he was 440 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:40,160 Speaker 5: a little eccentric. He was a little different. After we 441 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 5: were talking the other day, I was thinking about one 442 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:43,639 Speaker 5: of my friends here in Deansvielle. He liked to do 443 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 5: metal detecting and he came over to visit. And I 444 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:49,200 Speaker 5: have this friend that lived near the campus in an 445 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 5: older house that had you know, people have lost money 446 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,399 Speaker 5: and you know, fallen out of your pockets and stuff 447 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 5: like that. So he wanted to go over there and 448 00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:59,639 Speaker 5: detect on their property. And I had told her the 449 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 5: storyry about him, so she knew. She thought he was 450 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 5: a nice person, you know, And I think that's the 451 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 5: way most people felt about him. 452 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 1: In nineteen ninety three or nineteen ninety four, Howard Pearson 453 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: received some terrible news. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. 454 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 5: When he was diagnosed with Parkinson's, that he had gone 455 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 5: down to the library and researched it, and he seemed 456 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:27,400 Speaker 5: fixated on the mental incapacities that can come with Parkinson's. 457 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:31,160 Speaker 5: And my father had Parkinson's. I had never heard about 458 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 5: mental issues with Parkinson's. I always remember being kind of 459 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,960 Speaker 5: shocked that there were mental issues with it. The neighbor said, 460 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 5: that's really all he could talk about was that, you 461 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 5: know that he might lose he might lose you know, 462 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 5: mental capacity. According to the neighbor, that was what really 463 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:48,600 Speaker 5: worried him. I know, he really did not want to 464 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 5: lose control of his life. 465 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,479 Speaker 1: The disease only compounded Howard's fears. He had spent his 466 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 1: life fighting for control, and now he was going to 467 00:27:58,359 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: lose it. 468 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 5: I think that he felt that if he became incapacitated 469 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 5: from Parkinson's or anything else, that people would find out 470 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,919 Speaker 5: that he had this trust, they would find out that 471 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:12,639 Speaker 5: he had changed his name, they would find out about 472 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 5: his history, and he was very afraid of people finding 473 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:18,240 Speaker 5: out out about his history. 474 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,639 Speaker 1: Defense attorney Christa Chacona says that in some ways, the 475 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 1: end of Howard Pearson's life was just as tragic as 476 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 1: the time he spent in the state hospital. 477 00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 9: He was pretty intelligent, and you know, and it's almost 478 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 9: worse the more intelligent that you are sometimes because you know, 479 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 9: nobody wants to be perceived as being mentally ill. You 480 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 9: don't want to be different, You don't be wrong or broken. 481 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,480 Speaker 9: You don't want to have to take medication. You know, 482 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 9: that just validates what other people are saying, is there's 483 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 9: something wrong with you. 484 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: By May of nineteen ninety four, Howard had started losing 485 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: control of his life, and he knew that it would 486 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: only get worse. He had finally had enough of the 487 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: pain from Parkinson's, and he struggled constantly with the fear 488 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: that his past would be exposed. So he made one 489 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 1: last plan. Howard Pearson was going to take back control. 490 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 7: He went to Sears and bought some heavy wrenches. 491 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 1: Slowly Howard climbed into his car and started driving. 492 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 5: But he basically drove to the river in Spokane and 493 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 5: left his wallet and I think a note in the car. 494 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 7: And then he put his belt through the handles of 495 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 7: the wrenches and tightened his belt. 496 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 1: Howard was alone on the shore. He stepped to the 497 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 1: edge of the Spokane River, weighted down by the heavy wrenches, 498 00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 1: and began wading in. 499 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 5: And so he walked into the river and drowned himself. 500 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,640 Speaker 5: And they didn't find his body for several weeks. 501 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 1: It took a bit of digging, but I finally found 502 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:21,360 Speaker 1: Howard's obituary printed in the local newspaper. It read the 503 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,160 Speaker 1: body pulled out a Spokane river on Friday has been 504 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 1: identified as Robert Thomas Hamilton, seventy nine, a Spokane. Hamilton 505 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 1: was last seen on May first, and was reported missing 506 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: three days later. City police investigating Hamilton's disappearance found his 507 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:41,200 Speaker 1: car several weeks ago. Inside detectives found a note that 508 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 1: said too much pain. Water eases pain. The doors were 509 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:52,320 Speaker 1: unlocked and keys inside. Hamilton had serious health problems, Deputies said, 510 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 1: after years of psychological challenges, Howard's story was over. But 511 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: now we're left wondering just who was the real Howard Pearson. 512 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: We know he was capable of murder, but I keep 513 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:09,200 Speaker 1: coming back to the key question what was his motive? 514 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 1: Was he really schizophrenic, was he greedy and driven by money? 515 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 1: Or was he abused by his father to the point 516 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: that it pushed him over the edge. Tom Bloodsoe's wife 517 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 1: Cheryl has a. 518 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:25,320 Speaker 3: Theory he just was a very gentle man, and I 519 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 3: concluded that he just got pushed to his limit. You know, 520 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 3: people can only take certain abuses for so long before 521 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 3: something snaps and they have to stop it. And I 522 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:42,280 Speaker 3: think that was his only conclusion on how he could 523 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 3: stop it. And he was in treatment for so long, 524 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,480 Speaker 3: and I felt that if he was still a danger 525 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 3: to society, Alice and Uncle Bill would have never, you know, 526 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:56,480 Speaker 3: supported his release. I didn't feel threatened by him, or 527 00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:59,719 Speaker 3: you know, like he was a simmering pot or anything 528 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 3: like that. 529 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: But one thing that really sticks with me is what 530 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: happened with his mother. I understand that he thought she 531 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,520 Speaker 1: needed to be killed too, or he wouldn't receive any 532 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 1: of the life insurance money. But running her over after 533 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 1: shooting her seems needlessly brutal. I asked Tom and his 534 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 1: wife Cheryl about it. 535 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:24,680 Speaker 8: I mean, I always wondered, because he did kill both 536 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 8: of them, and I don't know how his mom figured 537 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 8: into that, unless it was money involved and you know, 538 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 8: something like that. But I never really gave it a 539 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:35,640 Speaker 8: lot of thought back then because the only stories I 540 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:40,760 Speaker 8: heard was his dad was real overbearing and drove into it, 541 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,160 Speaker 8: so that's basically all we heard. 542 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 3: I just wondered if he included Lena because she didn't 543 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 3: try to protect him from his dad. 544 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 1: That's what I think. 545 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 10: I think you're right. 546 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 1: I think that she was supposed to protect them. 547 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 2: Now. 548 00:32:55,480 --> 00:33:00,280 Speaker 10: I haven't read anything about Lena from Bill or from 549 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 10: Alice or from anybody, so I don't know if that's 550 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 10: true or not, but I can imagine that she must. 551 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 1: Have been, you know, passive. 552 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:13,760 Speaker 3: I imagine, Yeah, that's how I picture it in my head. 553 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 1: And Anne Pearson agrees her grandmother might have betrayed Howard 554 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 1: even more than his abusive father. 555 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 5: That can be a real issue for children if one 556 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 5: parent is abusive and the other parent doesn't protect you, 557 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 5: then you come to resent both of them. I know 558 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 5: that's true. I mean I've been I was a school 559 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:33,040 Speaker 5: counselor for thirty years. I can tell you that's true 560 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:34,840 Speaker 5: as a general rule with children. 561 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: Clearly, the story still isn't easy to sort out. Bill 562 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: Pearson had a tremendous amount of anger toward his father, 563 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: the judge, yet there was still a loss for him 564 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 1: when his brother killed his parents, a hole left empty 565 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 1: in the family. 566 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 5: My father and his father had a troubled relationship, but 567 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:00,680 Speaker 5: my dad could see a lot of good things about 568 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 5: his father. He can tell you he had a lot 569 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,640 Speaker 5: of stories about the good things that my grandfather did, 570 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 5: and he was proud of some of the good things 571 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,239 Speaker 5: my grandfather did, and he was proud of his mother, 572 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,799 Speaker 5: and like you know, close to his mother. So I 573 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:14,280 Speaker 5: know they definitely felt the loss. 574 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,399 Speaker 1: Part of the wonderful thing about this podcast is how 575 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 1: I get to connect with families. These stories are deep 576 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 1: dives into their history. Some of their memories are horrible, 577 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,279 Speaker 1: but some are inspiring, and I love being able to 578 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:31,240 Speaker 1: give them information about their families that might have been hidden. 579 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,640 Speaker 1: It's like having hundreds of tiny pieces of fabric, and 580 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:43,400 Speaker 1: I'm collecting them all to create this quilt. Gray Pearson 581 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 1: says that despite the sad outcome of Howard's life and 582 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:49,840 Speaker 1: the tragic deaths of William and Lena Pearson, he's still 583 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 1: really proud of his family. Do you think there's a 584 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 1: lesson here in any of this and this whole story. 585 00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 11: I think the lesson is best taught by Bill and Alice, 586 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:04,719 Speaker 11: one of kindness and forgiveness. I think that's an extraordinarily 587 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 11: important lesson. It would have been so easy for them 588 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 11: to become bitter and filled with hatred. It would be 589 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:15,319 Speaker 11: understandable had that happened. But for them to have the 590 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:22,919 Speaker 11: maturity and the kindness within their souls to be able 591 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:26,840 Speaker 11: to handle this in the way they did that to me, 592 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:28,880 Speaker 11: is a fantastic, wonderful. 593 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: Lesson, And it sounds as if the entire family was 594 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:36,160 Speaker 1: supportive of Howard all the way around. Oliver Perkins says 595 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 1: that his grandfather represented Howard in court, and to Oliver, 596 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 1: it's pretty clear that his grandfather never blamed Howard for 597 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:45,000 Speaker 1: the deaths of his parents. 598 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:52,239 Speaker 7: Remember, Oliver Cunningham is married to Ruth Pearson, who was 599 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 7: half sister to will and if Ruth was just horrible 600 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:05,480 Speaker 7: upset and blaming of Howard for murdering her half brother, 601 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:09,759 Speaker 7: I would have assumed that her husband would not have 602 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 7: been Howard's lawyer. You know, I can't. I do not 603 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 7: remember anyone ever saying anything bad about Howard. 604 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:23,640 Speaker 1: And I think that comes down to the issue of 605 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:28,040 Speaker 1: Howard's sanity. The Pearsons have unequivocally felt he was mentally 606 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,880 Speaker 1: ill and also under tremendous pressure. 607 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:33,920 Speaker 5: I could understand the motivations that he wanted the money, 608 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:35,840 Speaker 5: and that he was angry at his father because his 609 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 5: father was not a nice person to him, and he 610 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,560 Speaker 5: felt his father was holding him down. I think he 611 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:44,120 Speaker 5: really felt that his father was keeping him from doing 612 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:48,120 Speaker 5: what he could do. He had these resentments, which were, 613 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:51,440 Speaker 5: you know, understandable, but I also think he had voices 614 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:54,560 Speaker 5: telling him that he should do something about them. 615 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:57,120 Speaker 1: But Oliver Perkins isn't so sure. 616 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:03,280 Speaker 7: I was very skeptical of your ultimate goal of being 617 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:09,839 Speaker 7: able to develop some insight into Howard's motivation. I think 618 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:14,280 Speaker 7: I've made the comment that I've always found it difficult 619 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:17,880 Speaker 7: to read people's minds, and it's extra difficult when they're dead. 620 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:23,960 Speaker 7: But it seems like you've uncovered some evidence that causes 621 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 7: me to back off that opinion a little bit. I mean, 622 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:30,839 Speaker 7: I'm not saying you're right, but I'm kind of impressed 623 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 7: with the fact that you've uncovered this evidence, more evidence 624 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 7: that Howard was I'm going to use the word obsessed 625 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:48,440 Speaker 7: with monetary stuff to him, and that this certainly could 626 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:54,760 Speaker 7: have been a motivation for his killing his parents. 627 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:01,759 Speaker 1: Author Gary Laverne says How's story is one of privilege. 628 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:07,080 Speaker 2: Frankly, when I think of the story of Howard Pearson, 629 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:13,080 Speaker 2: I don't necessarily disagree with what ended up happening to him. 630 00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:16,800 Speaker 2: I just wish that we had a system, a criminal 631 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:21,839 Speaker 2: justice system that was as thoughtful with other people who 632 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:25,960 Speaker 2: don't have the resources and who don't have the money 633 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 2: to hire lawyers who graduated from Harvard Law School. 634 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:34,000 Speaker 1: Well, he's definitely right about that. In some ways, Howard 635 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: Pearson was really lucky, at least in court, and this 636 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:42,200 Speaker 1: story has taught Anne Pearson something. Maybe not every family 637 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,480 Speaker 1: has this type of skeleton in its closet. 638 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:49,560 Speaker 5: I have friends, you know, close friends who know this story, 639 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:53,360 Speaker 5: so I have talked to people about it. But I 640 00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 5: remember driving to North Carolina about three years ago with 641 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:58,759 Speaker 5: some friends and ended up telling the story it's a 642 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:01,799 Speaker 5: nine hour drive the car, you know, and me saying, well, 643 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:04,960 Speaker 5: everybody's family has stories like I'm sure, and they say 644 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:05,920 Speaker 5: not really. 645 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:07,400 Speaker 2: To me. 646 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:09,919 Speaker 5: It's like, to me, it's just like part of part 647 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:12,399 Speaker 5: of the way the world is. You know, everybody must 648 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:16,399 Speaker 5: have families who have stories like this, but maybe that's 649 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:29,240 Speaker 5: not really true. 650 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:32,640 Speaker 1: Tenfold More Wicked is going on hiatus while we start 651 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,840 Speaker 1: digging into three new historical true crime stories. But we're 652 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:38,600 Speaker 1: not going anywhere. In just a few weeks, please look 653 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:42,239 Speaker 1: out for my companion podcast, Wicked Words, on exactly Right. 654 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:45,640 Speaker 1: I'll interview journalists and writers about their best true crime cases. 655 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:48,480 Speaker 1: You'll hear from the filmmaker who investigated the Long Island 656 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:52,239 Speaker 1: serial killer. You'll meet the psychologist who spent years exploring 657 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 1: the mind of BTK killer Dennis Rader. And you'll hear 658 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:57,360 Speaker 1: from a New York Times bestselling author who went to 659 00:39:57,440 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 1: high school with a serial killer. These are the story 660 00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 1: behind the stories, so get ready for Wicked Words, coming 661 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:08,080 Speaker 1: soon to the tenfold More Wicked feed And if you 662 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:11,360 Speaker 1: love true crime, please check out my books American Sherlock 663 00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:14,920 Speaker 1: and Death in the Air They're available anywhere you buy books. 664 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,680 Speaker 1: This has been an exactly right and tenfold more. Media 665 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:25,440 Speaker 1: production producers Jason Whaling and Laura Soble, Sound designer Eric Friend, 666 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:32,319 Speaker 1: composer Curtis Heath, artwork Nick Toga. Executive producers Georgia Hardstark, 667 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:36,200 Speaker 1: Karen Kilgarriff, and Danielle Kramer. The letters mentioned in this 668 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:39,640 Speaker 1: episode were kindly supplied by the East Texas Research Center 669 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:43,360 Speaker 1: at Stephen F. Austin State University. Follow us on Instagram 670 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:46,759 Speaker 1: and Facebook at tenfold more Wicked and on Twitter at 671 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:50,799 Speaker 1: tenfold more. If you're an advertiser interested in advertising on 672 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:54,960 Speaker 1: our show, go to midroll dot com slash ads, and 673 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:57,120 Speaker 1: if you know of a historical crime that could use 674 00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:02,960 Speaker 1: some attention, email us at info at Tenfoldmorewicked dot com. 675 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:07,840 Speaker 1: So please listen, subscribe, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Ditcher, 676 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:10,560 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.